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Travel Guide To Ho Chi Minh

Swelling interest in travel to Vietnam is about to give rise to a wave of tourist development, but for the time being, visitors can still enjoy the country's innocent charm, exquisite food and beautiful coastline, as well as the chaotic energy of ebullient Ho Chi Minh City. Nothing prepares you for the city at rush hour: the crush of scooters and motorcycles is mind-boggling, a daily drama played by a cast of thousands. Above the streets, large billboards advertise everything from washing powder to beer. The city formerly known as Saigon may be named after the Communist leader Ho Chi Minh, but its spirit is more Richard Branson. While there are plenty of cultural stops, the city's main attractions are its restaurants, bars and shops. New boutiques are popping up all over the city, driving a new fashion dynamic. The city also claims to have the best food in the country, and it deserves this title for its version of pho, the noodle soup most commonly served at breakfast.

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(00 84 8 827 2828; www.sheraton.com/saigon). This opened in 2003 and is giving the Caravelle and the atmospheric Hotel Majestic a standard to aim for.

THE CARAVELLE HOTEL

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(00 84 8 823 4999; www.caravellehotel.com). Most visitors stay here and the location is hard to beat, although rooms are comfortable rather than remarkable.

Where to eat out in Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh city claims, as does every city in Vietnam, to have the best food in the country, and it deserves the hype for its local versions of pho (pronounced 'fur'), the noodle soup most commonly served at breakfast but available throughout the day.

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11a Ngo Van Nam (00 84 8 822 9783).

NAM PHAN

64 Le Thanh Ton (00 84 8 829 2757). This will give you an introduction to the mini-empire of silk merchant Hoang Khai. As well as multiple silk shops around the country he owns several restaurants including Emperor in Hanoi and Brother's café in Hoi An, plus the Riverside Resort in Hoi An. While the spaces he designs are absolutely beautiful, the food is more comforting than exciting.

PHO PASTEUR

260 Pasteur, District 3 (00 84 8 829 7943). For the best pho or noodle soup, in the city, visit Pho Pasteur.

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QUAN AN NGON

The best 'street food in a restaurant' can be found at Quan an Ngon (138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia; 00 84 8 825 7179). That the communal tables are packed with locals as well as foreigners is testament to the authenticity of the food and its value for money. You can watch your spring rolls, soups and main courses being made at little stations around the restaurant.

TEMPLE CLUB

29-31 Ton That Thiep (00 84 8 829 9244). This is a seductive, rarefied space lined with ceramic elephants; it serves cocktails and dinner, and all the furniture and accessories are for sale. Downstairs, Fanny's has very good ice cream to finish off your meal.

The best nightlife in Ho Chi Minh

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2c Thi Sach (00 84 8 824 1463). It's entertaining if you are in the mood for a noisy crowd of tourists and locals.

ENIGMA

20 Thi Sach (00 84 8 824 4922), around the corner from Camargue (see Where to eat), this is a new wine bar with a great selection of vintages by the glass.

Q BAR

7 Cong Tuong, Lam Son Square (00 84 8 823 3479). Right across the street from the Caravelle Hotel is the Q Bar, the city's hippest watering hole, where expats and fashionable Vietnamese congregate in equal numbers.

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REX HOTEL'S ROOFTOP BAR, SAIGON SAIGON BAR, LEVEL 23

For a good perspective on the city at night, consider a 'three-tiered' approach, with the kitschy Rex Hotel's 'rooftop bar' as your first stop, Saigon Saigon Bar at the Caravelle for the mid-level view, and Level 23 at the Sheraton Saigon, a sort of city eyrie, for soaring views over town.

Things to do in Ho Chi Minh

There are plenty of cultural stops, the War Remnants Musuem, the Reunification Palace, the terrace of the Continental Hotel (where foreign correspondents once congregated) and the classic, French-colonial General Post office.

Where to shop in Ho Chi Minh

New boutiques are driving a dynamic fashion-and-design scene, with modern versions of traditional items such as the ao dai (the beautiful tunics that women wear here) and lacquerware updated in vibrant colours.

BEN THANH MARKET

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Le Thanh Ton. This will make you rue the day that sterile supermarkets became the West's one-stop shops: crab, scorpion wine, Calvin Klein knock-offs, pickled vegetables, ducks, silk, watches, frogs, flip-flops, curry powder and rice are only a fraction of what’s on offer.

CELADON GREEN51 Ton That Thiep (00 84 8 914 4697). This is a good place to load up on chopsticks and plates.

GAYA

39 Ton That Thiep (00 84 8 914 3769). This is a three-storey shop with everything from Seventies-style, beaded lamps to fitted shirt-dresses in silks and cottons, and wonderfully soft bedding. Upstairs, you can recharge your batteries in the sweet little café.

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48 Nguyen Hue (00 84 8 829 8934). This also has an updated take on Vietnamese staples.

PRECIOUS QUI

29a Dong Khoi (00 84 8 825 6817). French designer Michelle de Anbe has taken the tiny storefront of Precious Qui and filled it with lacquerware - plates, trays, chopsticks and bowls in beautiful shades of green, white and red.

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Bargain massages are available all over town, but it's worth spending an additional £5 or so to find a setting to match the service. Spa tropic (187b Hai ba Trung (00 84 8 822 8895; www.spatropic.com) is in a renovated French villa and offers outstanding facials and massages. Get to your appointment early and hang out in the garden steam room beforehand.

How to get to Ho Chi Minh

AIRPORT

The nearest airport is Ho Chi Minh City airport.

AIRLINES FROM THE UK

There are no direct flights from London. Singapore Airlines (0870 608 8886; www.singaporeair.com) flies from Manchester and Heathrow to Ho Chi Minh City via Singapore (at least two connections to each daily). Thai Airways (0870 606 0911; www.thaiairways.com) flies from Heathrow to Ho Chi Minh City via Bangkok (two connections to each daily). Vietnam Airlines (0870 774 5450; www.vietnamairlines.com) flies all over the country and tickets are inexpensive, although they can cost more when bought in advance from outside the country.

Tourist information for Ho Chi Minh

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GOOD READING

There is also a wealth of literature about Vietnam. Books to take with you include David Halberstam's The Best and The Brightest, a comprehensive history of the Vietnam War; and Andrew Pham's memoir, Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam. Fodor's and The Rough Guide are the best guidebooks.